The latest ORDA Screwup

I was there for a short time this morning.  Everything was running up until at least 11 but the winds were getting steadily stronger.  It seemed inevitable that there would be wind holds.  The ADK Express chairs were all in the corral.  

I have a couple of questions:

How is the ADK Express in the wind?  Better or worse than the gondola?

Knowing that the Gondola has had constant problems wouldn't it make sense to have the ADK Express operating in case the Gondola goes down again?  Or IF the chair is better than the gondola in high winds shouldn't it be on-line?

I understand that there is nothing that we can do about the weather but if there is equipment that operates better under certain circumstances shouldn't it be available to use?  And if a piece of equipment is prone to breakdown shouldn't back-ups be in place?

As a side note someone told me yesterday that Gore had brought in a tech from Poma to troubleshoot the gondola problems and today someone told me that it had been determined that the problems have been caused by a circuit board and that a replacement had been ordered from Switzerland.  I can not confirm any of this so take it for what it's worth.

I will say that conditions were very good this morning and I enjoyed the short time that I had there.

The website says the gondola is on wind hold, but the podcast has this:

 We have been experiencing some electrical complications with our gondola recently, and none of us like that I know.  Tuesday went smooth and we certainly hope that trend continues- but a heads-up we are continuing on with the repair work which could result in some service interruptions.  We are working closely with our lift manufacturer on this rather frustrating item and are ready to open the Adirondack Express promptly if the need arises.
 
Thanks everyone for your understanding and patience while we wrap up this important repair work.  

So they expect gondola interruptions, but they aren't prepared to run the AE2. ORDA is unbelievable.

Probably IKON next year.

mm

At least give 'em props for an attempt at transparency...  that seems refreshing.

Man if they don't get this fixed by next weekend, going to be a lift line disaster. Hopefully they get the Gondola straightened out by then.

Today was 100% wind hold. It was probably the windiest day I can remember.

The upside was that if you were up top after 11am, you had a semi-private mountain with some great conditions!

I heard that by 3 the place was wind scoured - everything loose was in the woods

Agreed, was there today and left a short report on the conditions thread. Considering how windy it was today I thought they did a good job.

PeeTex wrote

I heard that by 3 the place was wind scoured - everything loose was in the woods

Frontside was rock solid on the way down at about 2:30.

As a pass holder of the ORDA3 and a midweek pass at Big K, I do not want to hear how much money the operation is saving ( which is the mantra call of ORDA, and particularly the King Cheapo MP), I want to hear how much money they are spending to make sure that I have the best ski experience that my $$ can buy!


+1000

Nothing finer that being up top when the gondi goes down.

Was Topridge spinning?

Oh yeah put this kind of stuff in Conditions!

Agree.

Carv-R wrote

At least give 'em props for an attempt at transparency...  that seems refreshing.

I’m sure this thread is not earning Harv kudos from Orda management but hopefully we can show Orda the error of thier ways here.  The only problemis more likely they don’t care as long as they dont spend money.

Z wrote

As a pass holder of the ORDA3

So Z - how much did you spend for you, your son's and your wife's season pass at WF?

Ptex you pulled that quote from Yukon.  FYI I Have not worked for Orda since last December.  My life is too busy to deal with that any longer

You also error in assuming Orda cares what any passholders say.  What matters to management is what the business owners in LP think as they are linked to the board members
If lodging reservations start getting cancelled do to lack of open terrain while VT areas are 100% open or close to that Pratt will be dealing with some problems

Here’s one for WF to stick in their pipe.  My bad for being lazy and not getting a couple voucher 4 packs in December.  I usually do.  60something bucks is a rate I can stomach.  We’ll be up for MLK weekend and my option now is to get tix online.  Thing is, a three day ticket is $80 a day.  Especially if the Summit isn’t open (sorry, Riva/Paron’s/Follies doesn’t cut it), there’s no way WF is worth that, to me at least.  Not for three days.  I got the boys their two day tickets (teen rate) because with the 3 day weekend they ski two and spend one with the cousins.  At this rate I’ll just do two myself, as I’d rather spend the day in town with family than spend $80 for a third day of limited trails.  Maybe a solid week of snowmaking (if they are capable?) and foot of powder that weekend will change things, but the meager advance purchase discount they offer sure isn’t inspiring me to lock in.

I’m seriously looking at Manchester VT lodging options for the rest of the season, because I’m really not impressed with what I’ve seen from WF so far this year.  My day trips so far this season, and for the forseable future, have been to Magic.  They used to be to WF....

Is it just this forum that has a concern ?  Many valid ones for sure.  Does the rest of the ski folks think this is ok?  

Hoser - I don't even think it's this forum.  I think it's like 5 people.  There's probably more but what good is this going to do?  It's just tilting at windmills.

Just stopped in to say I couldn't care less.  If you don't like WF (or Gore or Belle), don't buy tickets there.  Plain and simple.  Those who do and continue to do so year after year and complain are just setting themselves up for heartache.

Lots of people who live next to Mtn Creek don't ski there, they choose to go to WF.  Anyone who lives in the vicinity is free to do the same.  I hear QC is nice.  Just sayin'.

It’s not quite that easy.  Living in the adk park gore is an easy day trip 70 miles/minutes and WF is an ok up and back 2.5 hours but more often for $100 stay in the area and ski it sat or sun.   Heck Bell is also 2.5 the other direction

So would have to pass by gore to get to K in three hours.  Then pay much higher lodging unless stay in Rutland.   Or queensbury too.    If I lived in Albany Sara Glens Falls would have less of a concern as could do Vt in a day trip.   But we are spoiled by lack of people.  Non holiday weekend is ski on at gore.  Minutes at WF.  Can’t get that in VT hence why stay with Orda.  No lines and locations.  

I don’t know how many people may have noticed, or care about, changes at WF.  Yeah, you can write me off as one of five, and I’m not going to buy as many lift tickets there.  Drop in the WF bucket, who cares?

But maybe they should?  

I’ve been going to WF every year for some 30 years now.  It’s exclusively been my family’s ski destination that entire time.  I had few and far between day trips that weren’t to WF.  Maybe I always thought Sno was a wet behind the ears kid, and curmudgeon fit Z well.....heck, through last year I always defended WF.....but they were on to something early.

I’d think when a customer who has been 30 years loyal, and has spent a lot of money on ski trips to LP/WF over that time, gets turned off.......it should be something they care about.

Or not.  I’m kind of excited to rediscover VT.

Hey - I get it.  A lot of people see these places as their home mountains or most economical places to ski - what I'm saying is, if that's the case, just take it for what it is.  If you don't like it, go elsewhere and deal with the consequences.

Life is often like that.  There aren't easy decisions and often none of them are ideal.  Be an adult and make one, and deal with the one you made.

I like Gore too - but it's never been all that good when I've went.  I know it could be, but the chances of hitting it seem exceedingly slim.  And by this, I mean having like 90+% of the terrain open.  And on a mountain like that, that means natural snow.

WF and Placid will always get priority because they are the Olympic centers.  OK - but as a taxpayer of this state, I really don't care about supporting that with my tax dollars.  I don't really have a choice, but it is what it is.  I just shut up and enjoy the positive aspects that we have in this state or that come from these programs.